FEMALE ADOLESCENCE AS A FUNCTION OF EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT: COEDUCATIONAL AND SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING (INDEPENDENT, ADVANTAGES)

This study compares adolescent females\u27 experiences in coeducational versus single-sex high schools, especially related to issues of adult-role expectations, achievement, peer-relationships, self-image, and body-image. To examine these issues, a variety of measures were included in a questionnaire which was administered to 335 girls in grades nine through twelve from independent schools (3 coeducational and 4 single-sex) in New York City and suburban New Jersey. Girls from the two school types reported similar adult-role expectations and peer-relationships. However, girls from single-sex schools were more likely than the coeducated girls to say that they were good at math . Girls from coeducational schools were more oriented toward sports achievement than girls from single-sex schools. The coeducated girls also reported having more strained family relations and poorer impulse control than the girls in single-sex schools. Although there were no differences in the overall body-image of girls from the two school types, girls from single-sex schools were leaner and more likely to diet than the girls from coeducational schools. The results indicate that school gender composition is related to various aspects of adolescent females\u27 experiences. It is suggested that differing effects of gender composition may be found when examining schools with less homogeneous populations than the schools in this study and that other school contextual factors may be related to adolescent functioning. The differences between girls\u27 experiences in coeducational and single-sex schools may be useful information for teachers and administrators when designing the most beneficial academic programs